THIS Grade II listed house with an interesting history has just gone on the market - and it will set you back just under £1million. The current owners have completely refurbished and renovated the London Road property though it still manages to retain its period charm. But it is a previous owner of note who added some of the touches which make this detached six bedroom home so special. Historical research reveals that the house was originally owned by Scottish entrepreneur Robert Hardy. He came to Worcester in 1814, co-founding the world-renowned iron foundry Hardy & Padmore. Many of their fine castings can still be seen in Worcester including The Great Western Railway Bridge across Foregate Street, Cripplegate Park fountain and the clock opposite The Guildhall.
THE names of Scotsmen Robert and John Hardy and Englishman Richard Padmore may now only be familiar to some Worcester residents, but at one stage it was impossible to walk through the city of Worcester without seeing their handiwork. Established in 1814, their business created some of the most iconic and long-lasting decorative ironwork in the country. In cities throughout the world, examples of their wonderful creations are still available to see. In Worcester itself, many familiar parts of our city’s decoration were constructed at the Hardy & Padmore ironworks in Foundry Street, by local people. Two notable examples are the railway bridge across Foregate Street and the lamps decorating the bridge over the Severn, making Hardy & Padmore’s work a familiar sight to anyone passing through Worcester by rail or river.